Northeast: Over 200 migrate to Israel claiming descendants of a Bible tribe

Over 200 people from Manipur migrated to Israel on tourist visas last month, claiming they were descendants of one of the 10 lost Biblical tribes, according to Indo Asian News Service (IANS).

The members of the Shavei Israel Organization (SIO) in Israel alleged receiving a group of 231 people from Manipur's Churachandpur district – who went in two batches.

Rabbinical leaders, last year said that some 6,000 members of the Bnei Menashe tribe in Mizoram and Manipur were descendants of ancient Israelites or one of the 10 lost Biblical tribes.

"This is a historic moment for us. We have come home," Yigal Henshin, president of the Bnei Menashe community, was quoted as saying in Israel by Tlantea, a leader of the Mizoram chapter of SIO.

"The group from Manipur entered Israel on tourist visas and will undergo training on religious and social lines for three months and then will be formally converted to Judaism," Tlantea told IANS.

Claiming Israel to be their 'Promised Land', scores of applications were sent by the tribe members to the Israel Government, demanding their rights to return.

The Israeli law, allows every Jew to enjoy the 'right of return' or the right of abode in the country.

Although the Bnei Menashe tribe is recognized as one of the 10 lost Biblical tribes, the homecoming requires that they first convert to Judaism by taking a holy dip at a mikvah or a ritual bath.

Some 1,000 people from Mizoram and Manipur have migrated to Israel since 1994 when a private body, the Amishav Association, took up their case. The last batch of people from Mizoram had 205 people who left for Jerusalem in November last year, cited IANS.